The Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) has unanimously confirmed that the medical parole granted to former president Jacob Zuma by then-prison boss Arthur Fraser was unlawful – and ruled that he should return to jail.
The Department of Correctional Services (DCS) said it has noted the judgement.
In a decision written by Judge Tati Makgoka, the SCA stressed that the effect of its order that Zuma had unlawfully been granted medical parole was that “Mr Zuma, in law, has not finished serving his sentence”, it was reported online.
After the judgement on the matter was delivered the DCS said it respects the court’s decision.
“DCS respects the court’s decision and will study the full judgement in seeking to clarify a way forward within the requisite time frame,” the department said.
Previously, IOL reported that Zuma was granted medical parole after he was hospitalised days after he handed himself in, in July 2021, after the Constitutional Court found him guilty of contempt of court and he was to serve 15 months in prison.
The North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria reviewed and set aside Zuma’s initial successful application for parole in December 2021.
Since the news broke, Fraser and Zuma have been trending on Twitter, with tweeps calling for the former to also be investigated and jailed, as the Supreme Court judgement implicated him.
Fraser previously made headlines after accusing President Cyril Ramaphosa of lying about the origin of the stolen US dollars at his Phala Phala farm.